Computer Programming: Skills and Concepts (CP)

CP is running in 2013/14.

We have taken note of the feedback provided through BOS (Bristol Online Survey). We have the following responses/clarifications:

The most noticeable piece of feedback we got from students was a request for more interactive lectures (and from a couple of students, a request for slower pace). It is difficult to incorporate this in the current format - the number of lectures per week is agreed at 2, and if our lectures are more interactive, or proceed at a slower pace, then we will be at risk of failing to cover the content. However, we will aim to include some 30 minute interactive presentations at the beginning of some of the 2-hour Lab slots (probably about 3 or 4).
There were a couple of suggestions from students to add extra (supervised) Lab hours. This is unlikely to be resourced - the 2 hour lab itself was only introduced in 2011/12 (previous to that there were no supervised labs). It is important for prospective students to understand that they will need to spend significant time practising programming independently, from the early weeks onwards, if they want to do well in CP.
For 2013/14 we plan to distribute Lab-sheets a week in advance of the Lab, so that students will have time to study the sheet and to attempt some of the work in advance of the Lab session itself.

-- Mary Cryan, Julian Bradfield, August 2013.